That seems a bit expensive but if it's a "main dealer" who has laid out the thick end of 20k for an all sing and dancing precision grinder, perhaps not. Around here (Kent) £40 will get a 20" cylinder ground and perhaps the bottom blade skimmed as well. While on that subject there's no point in grinding the cylinder and not the bottom blade, even if it's a new one which may have been ground on a magnetic surface table but will conform to your sole plate when screwed on.

As for not having heard of an Atco Standard, if the man (of either gender) operating the grinder knows his/her job a cylinder is a cylinder regardless of what it comes out of.

Hmmmm i guess i need to make a few more calls this week. One of the places i haven't managed to contact yet and maybe favorite, looks to be working out of his garage turned workshop (Google maps) . I'm hoping he is very experienced and reasonably priced

Gave me a lot of confidence over the phone too as he explained the process, as my cylinder shaft has lost it's centre point. Will be taking it down once i work out how to remove the bottom blade!! The screws look a little ceased!

The bottom blade needs to be attached to it's carrier for grinding in order for the blade to be true, so unless you are fitting a new blade to the carrier you can leave the screws alone and save yourself a job.

Gave me a lot of confidence over the phone too as he explained the process, as my cylinder shaft has lost its centre point. Will be taking it down once i work out how to remove the bottom blade!! The screws look a little ceased!

As Hillsider says, if your bottom blade has enough "meat" on it to take a skim, leave it attached to the sole plate - bottom blades whether existing or new must be skimmed attached to the sole plate that they are going to run on.

Grinding cylinders between the countersunk centres in the shaft is a "last resort" for when there is a need for a bearing size that the operator does not have. It's far more satisfactory to grind with the cylinder in bearings that are similar to the ones that it runs in. I've ground many Atco Sttandard cylinders over the years and can't recall any issues with bearing sizes - RLS5 with a radiused outer race, I think, but it's been a while!.

I could definitely have done with that selection of cups. All in all took about 6 weeks for my blades to be sharpened, he did seem a good knowledgeable person at the start!

The excuses included sickness (fair enough being a sole trader), getting married, too busy, won't fit, then he sent to his mate... who he couldn't get hold of for long periods of time. But then they were done and they look great, onto this weekend and the first cut